


Kaleidoscope

by Luna12



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Canon - Manga, Drabble Collection, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Post-Canon, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26256262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna12/pseuds/Luna12
Summary: A series of mostly one-shot, unconnected drabbles and short stories each inspired by a single fan art or doujinshi page. OTP: Ranma/Akane. Romance, Humor, Drama, Angst, everything!
Relationships: Saotome Ranma/Tendou Akane
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26





	1. Hands

You can do this, Akane… it's nothing new. Okay, well, sort of new. I mean, that’s why it feels like a big deal. But remember, it’s not the first time. Just the first time in a long while. And we haven’t done this out here, in public. Oh God, now I’m over thinking things. Again.

It's just that ever since Daddy's little declaration and the bombed wedding, what we do has more weight. Especially, out here, on our usual school route with the world watching. It wouldn't  _ just _ be holding hands with Ranma. It would be raising a flag, staking a claim, and announcing with a bullhorn: “I want this. We choose this.”

Honestly, I already agreed to marry him last month. Most assume it was only because Ranma’s cure was at stake, but I wouldn't have gone through with it unless I was sure. Marriage is forever in my book, and I realize now… I want it with him. Aggravating, head strong, arrogant, caring, kind-hearted, generous … him. 

I cast a covert glance at my surroundings. I don't detect anyone, but I still half expect Shampoo to show up to fulfill her Kiss of Death, or Ukyo to come at me with a battle spatula, all while Kodachi cackles maniacally with her ribbon baton. I both dread the thought and welcome it. If they want a fight, they'll get one. I’m done playing games. 

Life is too short for that.

Jusendou taught me that.

I turn my head briefly to look at him. He's right by my side, (not on the fence!), walking at his usual relaxed stride, schoolbag slung carelessly over his shoulder as if he's without a care in the world.

Okay. Deep breath. Act natural. It’s not like we want his ego to get even more inflated knowing you’re flustered trying this. You get enough uncute and unfeminine comments as it is. Asking first would just be embarrassing. And he did make the first effort, walking next to you out here, didn’t he?

So just reach … and touch.

* * *

Life’s been kinda good lately. Ryoga’s finally taken the hint and is off at Akari’s farm, or let’s be realistic, wandering the planet. But at least he’s trying to get his ass  _ there _ instead of in Akane’s bed, so… yeah, a definite improvement.

Of course not everything is perfect. Frankly, I’m not sure how I’d handle perfect. Or “normal”, for that matter. Probably be bored outta my skull. But all in all, things are good.

Shampoo still has the hots for me (not that I blame her), and Kodachi still thinks she can woo me (gross, no thanks), and Ucchan’s the same as always, if a little embarrassed over those bombs last month, but there haven’t been any crazy schemes to get me hitched to anyone since Tendo-san made his declaration. So it’s been kinda peaceful-like. In the past week, Akane and I have only had to deal with one Dojo Destroyer and a challenge from that wacky Martial Arts Ceramic Master. You should see how quickly I can make, bake, and break pottery now…Akane, too, though I still don’t see how it’ll ever be useful. But anyway… it’s been good.

Akane and I are still, uh, well, I guess ‘complicated’ is the best way to describe it. But less complicated than before, if you get my meaning? I kinda realize how much I don’t want to piss her off just to get her attention. I’m not a wet-behind-the-ears 16-year-old brat anymore. Hell, we’ll be starting our senior year soon. So walks to the school are a bit different. I don’t bother with the fence-walking. I mean, it’s not like I need that trivial amount of balance training...and, alright, the view and company is better down here. Not that I’d come out and say it to the tomboy. But I think she knows, anyway. Like how she somehow knew what I wanted to say, but never  _ actually _ said, back in China. 

So these days, whenever she sees me not take my old perch on the fence, she gives me one of those smiles that puts the sunrise to shame, and away we go to pound Kuno in the head, dodge purple-haired bicycle deliveries, and swerve from any ladles of water, side by side. We even make it to school on time, most days.

But I gotta admit, lately, I have felt a little bit restless. Not quite like feeling a storm brewing, but kind of like someone’s been holding their breath a little too long. Something’s probably gotta change soon. And I’ll admit, I’m not sure if I want it to or not. As I said, it’s been kinda peaceful. But maybe peaceful isn’t what I want? It’s a little confusing.

And I think Akane might feel that way, too. She’s been giving covert looks at me when she thinks I’m not noticing. Sometimes she even has a blush on her face. Of course, I sometimes do the same to her, and then she notices me blushing, and … yeah… we’re still stuck at ‘complicated’ but with a touch more ‘comfortable’ yet 'waiting for more’ thrown in.

Now I’m so lost in thought that I don’t notice until it’s already over. 

Akane’s hand. 

I nearly trip at the shock. 

That touch, I swear I know it anywhere. I don’t even have to look. Her small, warm hand has gently grabbed mine. Not tight and clingy like Shampoo, and not enthusiastically pulling like Ucchan, but surprisingly gentle and almost shy. She’s not even looking at me. She’s staring straight ahead, her school bag coyly behind her back, still admiring the blue of the sky, but there’s an extra touch of pink on her cheeks than there was before. Contrary to her feisty nature, I know the tomboy gets shy about stuff like this. And yet she made the first move. Kinda like when we left Higo Forest and I was too undecided...alright, chicken, I’ll admit it… to grab hers, first. Only this time we’re not on a secluded journey away from civilization and all who know us. We’re on the sidewalk. In public. In the crazy ward of Nerima that has half a dozen or so nutsos wanting to win the Fiancee Wars. 

And just like the first time, there’s no way I’m going to pull away. But unlike then, I’m not going to get depressed that I didn’t make the first move. 

I was right. Change was brewing.

And it’s damn good.


	2. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sweet and waffy moment in the morning.

Akane was generally an early riser. It was in her blood. Kasumi was naturally cheerful and chipper before the light of dawn, and her father was usually awake and reading the morning paper shortly after. Only Nabiki seemed immune to the effect, a dangerous threat to anyone (other than Kasumi) who dared to wake her in the morning.

Akane tiptoed gently past her mercenary sister’s door, and out into the still dark skies and chilled air of a November morning. It wasn’t until Akane had reached past the halfway point of her jogging route that the sun began to rise. The glow of orange and yellow peeking out from the line of densely packed houses and suburban sprawl never failed to entrance her. Today, there was added tones of delicate pink diffused into the sky after the orange. 

Akane leaned against the canal rail to watch and wait. There was something about taking in the sunrise that centered her. It was a rare moment to reflect and breathe, a mild meditation. She felt renewed appreciation for autumn. The change in daylight hours gave her the luxury of viewing the entire sunrise during her jog. 

Back when she was a middle school student, catching an occasional sunrise was simply a joyful way to start her day. Then it evolved to something essential to her mental and emotional stores. The year she turned sixteen had more chaos and stress than any typical teenager could imagine. The sunrise gave Akane an unwavering beauty to take in and savor before rushing to charge a horde of perverted, molesting jocks at school, or rival fiancees, or zany matchmaker schemes and attempted kidnappings.

Now at seventeen, the importance of the sunrise had shifted again. She had died. Or at least, almost died. Even she wasn’t exactly sure what to call her experience on Mount Phoenix, but she had recurring nightmares of that moment; trapped in a hot, dark place, hardly able to blink at will, then suddenly cold, and alone, paralyzed and growing numb, feeling her breath still to nothing… she shivered, and it was not from the autumn chill. 

Her morning ritual had deeper meaning now. She was alive to see it. Alive to feel and experience the colors and warmth of a newly breaking dawn She didn’t want to lose that bone-deep awe that infused her the first week she returned from China...but it was happening. The sunrise was still beautiful, and filled her with a nameless joy, but the sharpness of the feeling was fading away. It was a little more comfortable to feel the appreciation less intensely, if also a little sad. Was she turning jaded at seventeen, or was this simply the natural process of moving on, of getting sucked into the daily grind of mundane tasks and taking for granted that the sun would always rise? 

The skyline returned to a dull, lifeless gray with rain clouds approaching, the vivid play of persimmon, orange and yellow dissipated; gone all too soon.

She was about to turn away from her resting position on the canal fence, when she felt a familiar presence approaching to her left:

Ranma.

She turned, surprised but not startled, as she had felt his approach like a gentle, warm breeze against her soul. It was odd, how she felt so intensely aware of him these days… a side effect of all the magics at work in Jusendo, perhaps? She had pre-cursed Jusenkyo-spring water and hot and cold restoration waters from Mount Phoenix, and who knew what else, coursing through her when Ranma had cried out from the depth of his soul and brought her back.

Yes, she knew it was him that brought her back...from wherever she had gone. Whether it was a cry from his throat or his heart didn’t matter, she had felt that tug, that raw flood of emotion, and it had wrapped around her and led her back to a body that slowly was able to feel life again.

Did he have any idea that he had done that, snatched her out of the closing jaws of death as easily as he had snatched her away from the Orochi dragon? They didn’t discuss it. Ranma stubbornly refused to broach the topic, and for once she relented after seeing the dark, haunted quiver in the depth of his blue eyes. Ranma could be so full of bravado, that she had to stop and remind herself that despite his amazing martial arts prowess, he was still only human and no older than her seventeen years. 

“Yo…” He called out gently. 

A smile tugged on Akane’s lips as she turned to face him. Her heartbeat sped up involuntarily. A swirl of questions crowded her thoughts. _Did he try to find me? Did he miss me? What was he doing here?_ “You’re already up?” was the one that she allowed out.

His outspread fingers bounced off each other in his nervous tell. “Uh, yeah...just out for a jog before training.”

Akane cocked her head. She knew he wasn’t being entirely forthright. As much as Ranma lived to train in the Art they loved, there was no getting him up this early voluntarily. Suddenly, it came to her. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d acted a bit paranoid since their return from China. “Ranma, are you here to check up on me?” her voice was somewhere between incredulous, teasing, and pleased. 

Ranma’s hands immediately stopped their nervous motion and he stiffened defensively. “Why would I check up on a macho, jock chick like you?” he dodged unsteadily. 

With humor dryer than a desert, Akane responded. “Of course you wouldn’t. You just happened to wake up early. On a day without school. To _jog_.” Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, and she gave him an annoyingly knowing smirk. While she always relished her morning runs, Ranma did not incorporate them into his regular fitness routine.

“You know, cynicism is really uncute.”

Akane felt the beginnings of victory in their playful banter. “Who said I wanted to be cute?” she challenged back.

Ranma could feel him losing their verbal spar, and changed tactics. “For a chick so prone to getting kidnapped, you should be grateful for someone checking up on you. Not that I was.” He quickly added, practically tripping over himself to defend his feigned nonchalance.

Akane blew out her breath in a puff. ”Honestly! You’ve been kidnapped yourself. _Twice_. Unless you’re forgetting that time with Sentaro, or Ryoga and the Fishing Rod?” 

Ranma was getting exasperated, and his concern leaked out. “Hey, you’ve been kidnapped _four_ times. At least! That’s twice as much as me!”

“So you _were_ worried!” Akane practically crowed in victory. 

Ranma cursed silently to himself, feeling the heat rush to his face. Damnit, but Akane had him. Denial was just not gonna cut it anymore. It didn’t mean he had to directly admit she was right, though, and either way, he had an important point to make. “Maybe I wouldn’t have to if you changed up your route. Not exactly the smartest move when you got local crazy enemies, Akane.”

Akane watched in bewilderment as Ranma’s earlier bravado faded away. They weren’t (quite) as immature as they used to be. Life was forcing them to grow up.

Her high from the verbal victory was replaced with a warm, full feeling in her chest. She placed her hand on top of Ranma’s. “Thanks for caring. It’s not a bad idea. I’ll change it up a bit.”

Ranma gave a curt nod, but still seemed tense. “You’ll tell me where, though, right? I mean, not that _I’m_ worried, but, uh, what if, uh, Kasumi needs to contact you. It’d be a pain to run all over the ward before finding you.”

Akane had to smirk at the lamest excuse she ever heard, and coming from Ranma, that was no small feat.

“Sure. I wouldn’t want _Kasumi_ to worry.”

Time stretched out, not exactly awkward, but a waiting silence. As if they both wanted to say something more, to take the next step, but were frozen in place, their inner hesitation palpable. They could feel how close they were to changing the whatever-you-could-call-their-relationship. What was between them was real yet undefined and too complicated to explain. 

Belatedly, Akane realized her hand was still on top of Ranma’s, but neither seemed inclined to pull away. Perhaps she could dare take a step further. Heavens knew she was brave enough to put on the wedding dress a few weeks back… this should be simple in comparison, right?

Akane took a moment to gather her courage, and follow her heart. “Would you like to join me, tomorrow? Since you want to know my new route, we could go together.”

A slow, genuine smile spread across Ranma’s face as he tried to play it cool. The pink tinge to his cheeks betrayed the calm in his voice. “Yeah. Sure.”

“But on one condition!”

Ranma's eyebrows shot up, wary. “What?” he asked cautiously.

Akane smiled, and it set his heart pounding harder, a special rhythm that was meant just for her. In that moment, Ranma knew he would agree to anything she said; fly to the moon, wrestle a bear, eat a week’s worth of her cooking, it was a winning bargain to feel the warmth of that smile. 

Oblivious to the effect she had on him, Akane continued. “We make time to watch the sunrise. It's worth waking up for.”

Akane's face beamed with hopeful expectation, and Ranma felt his breath hitch in his throat. The word “cute” flooded his mind, but even to him that seemed a pale description for her. The soft expression in her eyes rendered his knees weak, and the gentle touch of her hand on his tingled and warmed him to his core. His eyes were locked on hers, entranced by the honey amber sweetness of her countenance. Finally, he found his voice to respond, honest and firm and not at all thinking about sunrises. “It is.”

Akane could feel the subtle undercurrent in their relationship moving forward, and for now, it was enough. 

Her smile turned teasing before she pulled away. “Race you home!”

She was looking forward to tomorrow's sunrise.

They both were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: A bit cheating, as I wrote this before seeing an inspiration illustration, but this one seemed to fit pretty well:  
> [ https://pinterest.com/pin/3870349663376895/ ](https://pinterest.com/pin/3870349663376895/)


	3. Pigtail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...[She had him by the braided pigtail. It wasn't an intentional target. It just sort of happened.] 
> 
> Leaving for a training trip used to be as to normal as life got for Ranma...but this time it's going a little differently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original Publication Date: November 17, 2020 on FanFiction.net
> 
> Inspiration Fanart: pin dot it slash POAMVIM  
> \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had him by the braided pigtail. It wasn't an intentional target. It just sort of happened. He was misunderstanding her, she was misunderstanding him, and not willing to spiral into adolescent insults (so easy, so habitual, but less common these days with China and the battle with Saffron still fresh in their memories), so she had reached out to forcibly, yet relatively gently, keep him from retreat.

She didn't expect him to spin around so suddenly. Their faces nearly planted together. Both sets of cheeks heated at the unexpected closeness; the blushes formed equally deep and crimson on his surprised face as it did her shyly determined one.

Ranma's hands awkwardly poised midair for balance, and her thumb remained a mere centimeter from his face, still clasping the end of his pigtail.

Like the sudden snap of a rubber band, Akane released her grip on his hair, but neither made further motion to back away.

"Just...go and come back safely, okay?" Her voice was a study in contrasts, soft and sincere, but carrying an underlying heat of exasperation.

A warm sensation filled his chest and brought a natural smile to his face, before his trademark aggravating smirk replaced it. "Of course I will. I'm not a klutz, like some people."

Akane's brown eyes flashed and her nostrils flared. She deliberately breathed deeply to rein in a rising temper. There was no talking seriously to him sometimes!

She was ready to stomp off before she acted or said anything they'd both regret, when he stopped her mid turn, his large, calloused hand hesitant and gentle on her petite, but equally tough hand.

"It's...not like I want to go..." His free hand was nervously rubbing the back of his head, while the hand holding hers was unconsciously tracing circles with his thumb over her palm.

Week long training trips with his Pop used to be a normal part of his life, something neither dreaded or looked forward to, just accepted routine. Nowadays , it brought clashing emotional baggage. There wasn't much of anything his father had left to teach him, so without the promise of greatly improving his skills, the necessity of leaving behind the Tendo home...and a certain someone within it… left a bitter aftertaste.

Feeling awkward and conflicted, Ranma hadn't wanted to drag out the goodbye. Hell, he wished he didn't have to say any goodbyes in the first place! So of course, his chronic foot-in-the-mouth disease picked now- when Akane was at the door before the sun was even out to see him off - as the perfect time to flare up. He'd started with an abrupt "shouldn't you be in bed, tomboy?" and it quickly degenerated from there.

Akane felt her own conflicted emotions keenly. She was still miffed at his earlier rude behavior, but the feel of Ranma's thumb tenderly on her hand was acting like a heat sink to her boiling temper. His amended words and downcast demeanor penetrated through her own insecurities to help her recognize his own.

Akane breathed out an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, Ranma…

He tensed for a moment, expecting the worse.

"...is it so hard to say you'll miss me?"

His brain and mouth struggled to come up with a response, halfway to stuttering a partial denial and halfway to admitting, perhaps...maybe, sorta... when her next move stunned him in place.

Soft and as ethereal as butterfly wings, Akane's lips brushed against his right cheek in a warm and all too brief kiss.

His stunned expression made her laugh, a soft tinkle of bell-like laughter that was abruptly cut-off when his mouth met hers.

The initial start was clumsy enough to reassure her that Ranma was as inexperienced as she was… yet the intensity behind it was quickly joined with equal passion on her part, of feelings denied and years of sweet moments interrupted before they could come to full fruition. They were both creatures of physical action, and in this they were finally able to communicate in perfect harmony.

"You coming, boy, or do I have to drag your lazy ass with me to Hokkaido?!"

Reality crashed upon them, making them both jump, but not fully pull away. Thankfully, Genma had merely shouted from the doorway; he had missed the entire scene. Otherwise, Ranma had no doubt he'd be hogtied and dragged to a wedding altar… though the thought wasn't nearly as troublesome as it once was.

Ranma gritted his teeth in annoyance before responding in kind. "As if you could, old man! Catch your breath while you still can."

Ranma turned back to face his fiancee. Her cheeks were highlighted in a pink blush, and though he had originally thought he'd never seen her more beautiful than last week in her wedding dress, this was a radiant beauty that was more natural and stunning in its simplicity.

His fingers fidgeted in nervous procrastination. "I, uh, guess I'm leaving."

Akane nodded, her chest was tight with the overwhelming happiness from their first kiss, which blended uneasily with the impending bitterness of separation. For a moment she had trouble getting her throat to swallow, let alone form words. The traditional response of "take care..." managed to come out as a small croak. Akane quickly cleared her throat, hating herself for seeming like such an emotional wimp. She seized on her frustration at the situation, and with her arms crossed huffily across her chest, but with also a teasing smile at her lips, she responded more forcibly. "Or else!"

The feisty reply brought a smile to Ranma's face. That was his tomboy, all right; too prideful and macho to give girlish tears and sentimental declarations of missing him. Yet, her actions told him clearly that she would.

He motioned to leave, but found his feet unwilling to budge further. Even more than wanting to have the last word, he didn't want to leave any room for misunderstandings. They'd had too many already.

Blushing more deeply than when they'd kissed, Ranma forced out an answer to her earlier query. "I'll miss you," he admitted, as he stepped outside to join his father. He was still less than enthused to be leaving, but if it meant getting this kind of send-off...maybe training trips were something to look forward to, after all.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this piece of fan art: [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3870349659993441/ ](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3870349659993441/)  
> If anyone knows the author, please let me know.


End file.
